BRIDGEWATER, Mass. (November 9, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's hockey team dropped a 3-2 decision to Franklin Pierce Saturday afternoon inside the Bridgewater Ice Arena. With the loss, the Skyhawks fell to 4-9 overall and 4-4 in conference play, while the Ravens improved to 6-4 overall and 6-2 against conference opponents.

Highlights

• Today's score marked the fifth consecutive game that Stonehill and Franklin Pierce have played to a one-score game.
• Junior co-captain Sydney Russell lit the lamp on her first goal of the season, while graduate transfer Maeve Connolly found the back of the net for her first goal as a Skyhawk.
• Connolly's goal coming while being shorthanded on the ice, marked Stonehill's third shorthanded goal of the season, a total that ranks first across the NCAA.
• Junior Bailey Feeney posted her fourth multi-point game of the season after dishing out a pair of assists.
• Junior Kathryn Karo continued her outstanding season at the dot, winning 15 of her 22 total faceoffs on the day.
• First-year netminder Alexsa Caron tallied 17 saves in between the pipes for the Skyhawks.
• First-year student Brynn Levinson paved the way for the Ravens offense, scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal and dishing out an assist.
• First-year student Bo Dean and junior Anna Caumo each scored their respective third goals of the season for Franklin Pierce.
• Junior goaltender Jill Hertl picked up her sixth win of the season after making 35 saves inside the crease for the Ravens.

How it Happened
Stonehill came out of the gates strong, peppering Hertl and the Franklin Pierce defense with seven shot attempts over the first three minutes of play. However, at the 3:21 mark of the first, the Ravens would light the lamp and take the first lead of the game when Dean scored her third of the season after sneaking a puck through the pads of Caron on a breakaway.
 
After Franklin Pierce jumped out to an early one-goal lead, the two sides would play back-and-forth, trading shot attempts and a pair of power-play opportunities, respectively, as the Ravens would take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
 
Following a barrage of shot attempts from Franklin Pierce early in the second, Stonehill would go on the attack, registering a trio of high-quality scoring chances at the respective 4:31, 6:37, and 9:05 marks of the middle frame. However, senior co-captain Josie Mendeszoon, first-year defender Reagan Whynot, and Feeney would be denied and held scoreless midway through the second period.
 
At the 14:23 mark of the second, the Ravens would double their advantage when Caumo capitalized in front after a deflection underneath the Skyhawk's goal line glided its way to the first-year defender's stick directly in front of Caron in goal.
 
Just over two minutes later, the Skyhawks would cut their deficit in half when Feeney sent a pass over to Russell on the point, who whistled a shot under the glove of Hertl and into the back of the cage for her first goal of the season and fifth of her collegiate career. Despite teeing up eight shot attempts over the final 90 seconds of action in the second, the Skyhawks would be unable to level the game heading into the third and final frame of regulation.
 
To start the third period, Stonehill would go down two skaters after a pair of penalties in the opening five minutes of play. Despite being on a penalty kill, Stonehill would light the lamp on its third shorthanded goal of the season when Connolly and Feeney connected on a two-on-one break into the Franklin Pierce defensive end of the ice, knotting the game up at 2-2 five minutes into the third. However, just 40 seconds after Connolly scored her first goal as a Skyhawk, the Ravens would regain their lead with a power-play goal of their own off the stick of Levinson.
 
After heading on the power-play and emptying the net, vying for that equalizing goal, a late penalty would stifle the Stonehill two-skater advantage, as the Skyhawks would fall short of the consecutive comebacks, 3-2, to Franklin Pierce.
 
Up Next
Stonehill (4-9, 4-4 NEWHA) returns to action next weekend for a split two-game set against Post University. Puck drop of Friday's series opener between the Skyhawks and Eagles from Shelton, Connecticut is set for 1 PM.   
 
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